Forging is a manufacturing process where metal is pressed, pounded or squeezed (these terms are used interchangeably herein) under great pressure into high strength parts known as forgings. The process is normally (but not always) performed hot by preheating the metal to a desired temperature before it is worked.
The forging process can create parts that are stronger than those manufactured by any other metalworking process. This is why forgings are almost always used where reliability and human safety are critical. Forgings are often used as component parts contained inside assembled items such as ships, oil drilling equipment, engines, and many other kinds of equipment.
Forgings are typically completed by subjecting the forging to a machining or finishing process. The process of machining removes excess material from a forging using a machine tool.
Energy (oil and gas) mining operations utilize high pressure pumps that circulate drilling fluids, both injecting fluids into and discharging fluids out of the drill string equipment. The high pressure pumps include components designated as the “fluid end” that provide the function of a manifold block to facilitate fluid transfer during operation. These manifold blocks contain intersecting bores that provide passages for the drilling fluids.
Conventional manufacturing of these manifold blocks involves the acquisition of an alloy steel ingot from a melting source. Through open-die forging, the ingot is reduced to the form of a rectangular billet, representative in excess of the maximum height, width, and length of the manifold block. The service demands of this energy mining application require the highest quality in steel cleanliness and strength. Sections of the forged billet are removed through precision machining to create the manifold exterior geometry and series of intersecting central bores extending to the exterior block surfaces.